Drone Services Gain Ground as Businesses and Defense Agencies Seek Faster Aerial Data
Drone services are moving from niche tools to core infrastructure for business and defense.
The Drones as a Service model lets customers buy aerial data, inspections, mapping and analytics by subscription or on demand, instead of purchasing aircraft, hiring pilots and maintaining fleets. That shift is lowering adoption costs in construction, agriculture, energy and logistics, where operators use drones for recurring surveys, asset checks, site monitoring and data collection. Industry estimates cited in market commentary put the sector at about $6 billion to $8 billion today, with forecasts ranging from roughly $27 billion to more than $179 billion by 2030 and some projections exceeding $500 billion by the mid-2030s as global adoption accelerates.
In government and defense, the same service model offers scale without long procurement cycles. Military, public safety and emergency response agencies can use contracted drone networks for surveillance, border security, disaster response and infrastructure monitoring, often supported by AI analytics and real-time data feeds. The model is gaining relevance as autonomous systems, beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations and smart-city programs expand, creating demand for aerial systems that can be deployed quickly and scaled across changing missions.
ZenaTech reported full-year 2025 revenue of C$12.9 million, up 558% from almost C$2.0 million in 2024, while fourth-quarter revenue rose 670% to C$5.2 million. Its DaaS segment generated C$10.1 million in its first full year of operations, and total assets increased 188% to C$99.8 million. The company completed 20 acquisitions in 2025, including 19 land surveying, mapping, inspection and cleaning companies across the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, plus U.K.-based enterprise software company Othership Limited. ZenaTech said its current DaaS network now spans 24 global locations, and it also opened an office in South Korea and announced plans for drone manufacturing and testing operations in Ukraine.
The company is also pushing further into defense systems. ZenaDrone began prototype development of two interceptor drones, the gas-powered ZenaDrone 2000 and the one-way Interceptor P-1, along with the IQ Glider marine launching station. It added the ZenaDrone 1000 to the Green UAS certification process, a pathway toward Blue UAS certification that could support future inclusion in U.S. defense procurement contracts. New products include the IQ Quad for land surveys, the IQ Aqua for underwater surveillance and quantum navigation software for GPS-denied environments.
Other recent industry moves point to the same demand curve. Unusual Machines announced a more than $5 million order from Autonomous Power Corporation to supply U.S.-made components for counter-UAS systems and related drone platforms, with deliveries scheduled to start in April and finish in the second quarter. Ondas completed its $175 million merger with Mistral, adding U.S.-based manufacturing, integration and federal contracting infrastructure, as well as access to U.S. Army and Special Operations contract vehicles. The implication is clear: DaaS is turning drones from standalone equipment into a scalable operating layer for commercial productivity, public safety and modern defense.